What does 1 Samuel 15:11 mean?
Translation from ancient languages can sometimes result in confusion. Here, God expresses emotion about Saul, which is often misunderstood as admitting to making a mistake. The Bible is clear that God's plans always work out according to His perfect will. For example, Isaiah 46:9–10 says,"for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose.'"
On the other hand, Genesis 6:6 reports that God "regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart." In this verse, the Lord says that He regrets having made Saul king over Israel. The Hebrew term involved is nacham. While this can mean "regret" in the sense of remorse or guilt, it is also an expression of grief or emotional pain. Later in this same chapter, Samuel will insist that God does not have "regret" because He is not a man (1 Samuel 15:29). This uses the same term, but in a different sense.
Taking it all together, it seems that the difference is between God's emotion and His perfect will. God feels deep sadness about the painful consequences of human sin, but He is not saying that He would do things differently if He could do it again. Only human beings say such things. It's not that the Lord now believes His previous decision was wrong. He is saddened by the painful outcomes. It is interesting to consider God being grieved over sin and its consequences, especially when we know that He knows all things. God was not surprised at what transpired with Saul, and yet He is still said to be pained over it.
A similar situation in the New Testament is Jesus weeping over Lazarus and the human experience of death and mourning (John 11). Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, and yet He still wept. Ephesians 4:30 counsels believers against grieving the Holy Spirit. Sin matters to God in a very real sense; it grieves Him. God is not a demanding despot or an uncaring puppet-master. He created humanity in His image knowing the cost of salvation—God the Son taking on human flesh, living a sinless life, dying in our place, and resurrecting (Genesis 3:15; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). God took on the cost of sin Himself, becoming forever linked with His creation so that they might know true life in Him (John 3:16–18; 10:10; 17:1–26; Hebrews 2:10–18). He knows what sin costs; He knows what true life is and thus the devastation experienced by those who reject it (Romans 6:23). Sin is not only an affront to a holy God, but it also pains Him in the way it completely contradicts His character and His desires.
Because God is omniscient and omnipotent, His emotions are not equivalent to human emotions. But He created us in His image and with emotion, and His Word uses human-like terminology. Both help us better understand who God is. When we read that God had sorrow over making Saul king, we rightly understand that God is pained by the situation. The king has rejected God, and thus God has rejected him (1 Samuel 15:23).
Saul has turned back from following the Lord. This is revealed by the king's direct disobedience to God's clear command through Samuel. When Saul previously disobeyed the Lord by offering sacrifices instead of waiting for Samuel, the prophet said that the king had done foolishly (1 Samuel 13:13). As a result of that disobedience, Saul's kingdom would not continue, meaning that his ancestors would not assume the throne (1 Samuel 13:13–14). This disobedience goes beyond that to turning away from following God.
God's prophet seems to reflect the Lord's emotions. Samuel is angry and cries all night to the Lord. It's not clear if Samuel is simply expressing his own frustration with Saul or if he is asking God for something. In either case, both God and the prophet are deeply disturbed about Saul's disobedience and the consequences it will bring.
